
Class VKf)034 
Book .-^t 









IMITATIONS OF PSALMS. 



JAMES MONTGOMERY. 



come let us sing unto the Lord ; let us heartily rejoice iu th« 
strength of our salvation. Psalm xcv. 1 ' 



BOSTON : 

WELLS AND LILLY— COURT-STREET, 

1823, 

('' 1898 



%. 



^X"^"'" 

.^V' 



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3[^ref^ce. 



In the following Imitations of portions of 
the true " Songs ofZion^^'' the author pre- 
tends not to have succeeded better than 
any that have gone before him ; but, 
having followed in the track of none, he 
would venture to hope, that, by avoiding 
the rugged literality of some, and the 
diffusive paraphrases of others, he may, 
in a few instances, have approached 
nearer than either of them have general-- 
ly done, to the ideal model of what de- 
votional poems, in a modern tongue, 
grounded upon the subjects of ancient 
psalms, yet suited for Christian edifica- 
tion, ought to be. Beyond this he dare 
not say more than that whatever symp- 



ir 

toms of feebleness or bad taste may be 
betrayed in the execution of these pieces, 
he olliers not to the public tiie premature 
fruits of idleness or haste. So far as he 
recollects, he has endeavoured to do his 
best, and, in doing so, he has never hesi- 
tated to sacritice ambitious ornament to 
simplicity, clearness ana force of thought 
and expression, if, in the event, it shall 
be found that he has added a little to the 
small national stock of " psalms and 
hymns, and spiritual songs," in which 
piety speaks the language of poetry, and 
poetry the language of inspiration, he 
trusts that he will be humbly contented 
and unfeigned ly thankful. 

Sheffield, May 2^, 1822. 



ecntewts^* 



PAGE 

Psalm 1 9 

Psalm III 10 

Psalm IV. No. 1 11 

Psalm IV. No. 2 12 

Psalm VIII 13 

Psalm XI 15 

Psalm XIX. No. 1 16 

Psalm XTX. No. 2 17 

Psalm XXIII 19 

Psalm XXIV. No. 1 20 

Psalm XXIV. No. 2 21 

Psalm XXVII. No. 1 23 

Psalm XXVII. No. 2 24 

Psalm XXIX 26 

Psalm XXX 28 

B 



Tl 

Psalm XXXIX . 30 

Ps^LM XLll. No. 1 33 

Psalm XLII. JVo. 2 34 

Psalm XLIII. [Continuation of Psalm XLII.] 

No. 3 36 

Psalm XLVI. No. 1 37 

Psalm XLVI. No. 2 39 

Psalm XLVII 40 

Psalm XLVIII 42 

Psalm LI 44 

Psalm LXIII 47 

Psalm LXIX 49 

Psalm LXX 50 

Psalm LXXI 51 

Psalm LXXII 53 

Psalm LXXIII 57 

Psalm LXXVII 60 

Psalm LXXX 63 

Psalm LXXXIV es 

Psalm XC 67 

Psalm XCI 70 

Psalm XCIII 73 

Psalm XCV 74 

Psalm C 78 



Vll 

Psalm CIII 77 

Psalm CIV 80 

Psalm CVII. No. 1 84 

Psalm CVII. No. 2 86 

Psalm CVII. No. 3 88 

Psalm CVII. No. 4 89 

Psalm CVII. No. 5 91 

Psalm CXIII 93 

Psalm CXVI 94 

Psalm CXVII 96 

Psalm CXXI 97 

Psalm CXXII 99 

Psalm CXXIV. . . , 100 

Psalm CXXV 102 

Psalm CXXVI 103 

Psalm CXXX 105 

Psalm CXXXI 107 

Psalm CXXXII. No. 1 108 

Psalm CXXXII. No. 2 109 

Psalm CXXXIII 110 

Psalm CXXXIV 112 

Psalm CXXXVII 113 

Psalm CXXXVIII 114 

Psalm CXXXIX 115 



viu 



Psalm CXLI 118 

Psalm CXLII 119 

Psalm CXLIII 120 

Psalm CXLIV 122 

Psalm CXLVIII 124 



Sons^ of Ziott. 



PSALM L 



± HRiCE happy he, who shuns the waj 
That leads ungodly men astray ; 
Who fears to stand where sinners meet. 
Nor with the scorner takes his seat. 

The law of God is his delight ; 

That cloud by day, that fire by night. 

Shall be his comibft in distress, 

And guide him through the wilderness. 

His works shall prosper ; — he shall be 
A fruitful, fair, unvvithering tree, 
1 



10 

That, planted where the river flows, 

Nor drought, nor frost, nor mildew knowi 

Not so the wicked ; — they are cast 
Like chaff upon the eddying blast ; 
In judgment they shall quake for dread^ 
Nor with the righteous lift their head. 

For God hath spied their secret path. 
And they shall perish in his wrath ; 
He too hath mark'd his people's road, 
And brings them to his own abode. 



PSALM III. 



The Tempter to my soul hath said, 
" There is no help in God for thee :" 

Lord, lift thou up thy servant's head 
My glory, shield, and solace be. 



11 



Thus to the Lord I raised my cry ; 

He heard me from his holy hill ; 
At his command the waves roll'd by ; 

He beckon'd, and the winds were still. 

I laid me down and slept ; — I woke ; 

Thou, Lord, my spirit didst sustain ; 
Bright from the east the morning broke, 

Thy comforts rose on me again. 

I will not fear, though armed throngs 
Compass my steps, in all their wrath ; 

Salvation to the Lord belongs ; 

His presence guards his people's path. 



PSALM IV. 

No. 1. 



How long, ye sons of men, will ye 
The servant of the lord despise. 



12 

l)elight yourselves with vanitjy 
And trust in refuges of lies ? 

Know that the Lord hath set apart 
The godly man in every age ; 

He loves a meek and lowly heart; 
His people are his heritage. 

Then stand in awe, nor dare to sin ; 

Commune with your own heart ; be stiu 
The Lord requireth truth within, 

The sacrifice of mind and will. 



PSALM IV, 

No. 2. 



While many cry, in Nature's night, 
Ah I who will show the way to bliss ? 

Lord, lift on us thy saving light ; 
We seek no other guide than this. 



13 



Gladness thy sacred presence brings, 
More than the joyful reaper knows j 

Or he who treads the grapes, and sings, 
While with new wine his vat o'erflows. 

In peace I lay me down to sleep ; 

Thine arm, O Lord, shall stay my head, 
Thine angel spread his tent, and keep 

His midnight watch around my bed. 



PSALM VIIL 



O Lord, our King, how excellent, 
Thy name on earth is known ! 

Thy glory in the firmament 
How wonderfully shown ! 

Yet are the humble dear to Thee 
Thy praises are confest 

1 * 



14 

By infants lisping on the knee. 
And sucklings at the breast. 

When I behold the heavens on high, 

The work of thy right hand ; 
The moon and stars amid the sky, 

Thy lights in every land : — 

Lord, what is man, that thou shouldst deig« 

On him to set thy love. 
Give him on earth awhile to reign, 

Then fill a throne above ? 

O Lord, how excellent thy name ! 

How manifold thy ways ! 
Let Time thy saving truth proclaim, 

Eternity thy praise. 



15 



PSALM XL 

The Lord is in his holy place, 

And from his throne on high, 
He looks upon the human race 

With omnipresent eye. 

He proves the righteous, marks their path 

In him the weak are strong ; 
But violence provokes his wrath, 

The Lord abhorreth wrong. 

God on the wicked will rain down 
Brimstone, and fire, and snares ; 

The gloom and tempest of his frown ; 
— This portion shall be theirs. 

The righteous Lord will take delight 

Alone in righteousness ; 
The just are pleasing in his sight. 

The humble He will bless. 



16 

PSALM XIX. 

No. 1. 

Thy glory, Lord, the heavens declare, 
The firmament displays thy skill ; 

The changing clouds, the viewless air, 
Tempest and calm thy word fulfil ; 

Day unto day doth utter speech, 

And night to night thy knowledge teach. 

Though voice nor sound inform the ear, 
Well-known the language of their song. 

When one by one the stars appear, 
Led by the silent moon along, 

Till round the earth, from all the sky, 

Thy beauty beams on every eye. 

Waked from thy touch, the morning sun 

Comes like a bridegroom from his bower, 
And, like a giant, glad to run 



17 

His bright career with speed and powey ^ 
— Thy flaming messenger, to dart 
Life through the depth of Nature's heart. 

While these transporting visions shine 

Along the path of Providence, 
Glory eternal, joy divine, 

Thy word reveals, transcending sense ; 
—My soul thy goodness longs to see, 
Thy love to man, thy love to me. 



PSALM XIX. 

No. 2. 



Thy law is perfect, Lord of light, 

Thy testimonies sure ; 
The statutes of thy realm are right, 

And thy commandment pure . 



18 

Holy, inviolate thy fear, 

Enduring as thy throne ; 
Thy judgments, chastening or severe, 

Justice and truth alone. 

More prized than gold, — than gold whose 
waste 

Refining fire expels ; 
Sweeter than honey to my taste, 

Than honey from the cells. 

Let these, O God, my soul convert, 

And make thy servant wise, 
Let these be gladness to ray heart, 

The day-spring to mine eyes. 

By these may I be warn'd betimes j 

Who knows the guile within? 
Lord, save me from presumptuous crimes, 

Cleanse me from secret sin. 



19 



So may the words my lips express, 
The thoughts that throng my mind, 

O Lord, my strength and righteousness 1 
With thee acceptance find. 



PSALM XXIII. 

The Lord is my shepherd, no want shall I 

know ; 

I feed in green pastures, safe-folded I rest ; 

He leadeth my soul where the still waters 

flow, [when opprest 

Restores me when wandering, redeems 

Through the valley and shadow of death 

though I stray, [fear; 

Since Thou art my guardian, no evil I 

Thy rod shall defend me, thy staff be my 

stay, [near. 

No harm can befall, with my Comforter 



20 

In the midst of affliction my table is spread"; 

With blessings unmeasured my cup run- 
neth o'er ; [head ; 
With perfume and oil Thou anointest my 

O what shall I ask of thy Providence more ? 

Let goodness and mercy, my bountiful God, 

Still follow my steps till I meet Thee 

above ; [trod 

I seek, — by the path which my forefather 

Through the land of their sojourn, — thy 

kingdom of love. 



PSALM XXIV, 

No. 1. 

The earth is thine, Jehovah ; — thine 
Its peopled realms, and wealthy stores ; 



n 

Built on the flood, by power divine. 
The waves are ramparts to the shores. 

But who shall reach thine holy place, 
Or who, O Lord, ascend thine hill ? 

The pure in heart shall see thy face, 
The perfect man that doth thy will. 

He who to bribes hath closed his hand, 

To idols never bent the knee, 
Nor sworn in falsehood, — He shall stand 

Redeem'd, and own'd, and kept by Thee. 



PSALM XXIV. 

No. 2. 

Lift up your heads, ye gates, and wide 
Your everlasting doors display; 
2 



22 

Ve angel-guards, like flames divide, 
And give the King of Glory way. 

Who is the King of Glory?— He, 
The Lord Omnipotent to save, 

Whose own right-arm in victory 

Led captive death, and spoil'd the grave. 

Lift up your heads, ye gates, and high 
Your everlasting portals heave ; 

Welcome the King of Glory nigh ; 

Him let the heaven of heavens receive. 

Who is the King of Glory ?— Who ? 

The Lord of hosts ; — behold his name ; 
The kingdom, power and honour due. 

Yield him, ye saints, with giad acclaim. 



23 

PSALM XXVII. 

No. 1. 

God is my strong salvation, 

What foe have I to fear ? 
In darkness and temptation, 

My light, my help is near : 
Though hosts encamp around me, 

Firm to the fight I stand ; 
What terror can confound me, 

With God at my right-hand ? 

Place on the Lord reliance, 

My soul, with courage wait ; 
His truth be thine affiance. 

When faint and desolate ; 
His might thine heart shall strengthen, 

His love thy joy increase ; 
Mercy thy days shall lengthen ; 

— The Lord will give thee peace 



24 

PSALM XXVll. 

No. 2. 

Gne thing, with all my soul's desire, 
I sought and will pursue ; 

What thine own Spirit doth inspire, 
Lord, for thy servant do. 

©rant me within thy courts a place, 

Among thy saints a seat, 
For ever to behold thy face, 

And worship at thy ieet : — 

In thy pavilion to abide, 

When storms of trouble blow, 

And in thy tabernacle hide, 
Secure from every foe. 

" Seek ye my face ;" — without delay. 
When thus I hear Thee speak, 



25 

My heart would leap for joy, and say, 
" Thy face, Lord, will I seek." 

Then leave me not when griefs assail, 
And earthly comforts flee ; 

When father, mother, kindred fail. 
My God, remember me. 

Oft had I fainted, and resign'd 

Of every hope my hold. 
But mine afflictions brought to mind 

Thy benefits of old. 

Wait on the Lord, with courage wait. 

My soul, disdain to fear ; 
The righteous judge is at the gate. 

And thy redemption near. 



2* 



26 



PSALM XXIX. 

Give glory to God in the highest ; give praise, 
Ye noble, ye mighty, with joyful accord ; 

All-wise arc his counsels, all-perfect his 
ways ; 
In the beauty of holiness worship the Lord. 

The voice of the Lord on the ocean is known, 
The God of eternity thundereth abroad ; 

The voice of the Lord, from the depth of 
his throne, 
Is terror and power ; — all nature is awed. 

At the voice of the Lord the cedars are bowM, 

And towers from their base into ruin are 

hurPd ; 

The voice of the Lord, from the dark bo- 

som'd cloud, [world. 

Dissevers the lightning in flames o'er the 



27 

See Lebanon bound, like the kid on his rocks, 
And wild as the unicorn Sirion appear ; 

The wilderness quakes with the resonant 

shocks ; [of fear. 

The hinds cast their young in the travail 

The voice of the Lord through the calm of 

the wood, [its caves ; 

Awakens its echoes, strikes light through 

The Lord sitteth King on the turbulent flood ; 

The winds are his servants, his servants 

the w^ves. 

The Lord is the strength of his people ; the 

Lord [evermore ; 

Gives health to his people, and peace 

Then throng to his temple, his glory record, 

But, O ! when He speaketh, in silence 

adore. 



28 



PSALM XXX. 

Yea, I will extol Thee, 

Lord of life and light. 
For thine arm upheld me, 

Turn'd my foes to flight : 
I implored thy succour. 

Thou wert swift to save, 
Heai my wounded spirit, 

Bring me from the grave. 

Sing, ye saints, sing praises, 

Call his love to mind, 
For a moment angry. 

But for ever kind ; 
Grief may, like a pilgrim, 

Through the night sojourn. 
Yet shall joy to-morrow 

With ttie sun return. 



29 

In my wealth I vaunted, 

" Nought shall move me hence ;' 
Thou hadst made my mountain 

Strong in thy defence : 
— Then thy face was hidden, 

Trouble laid me low, 
" Lord," I cried most humbly^ 

" Why forsake me so ? 

" Would my blood appease Thee., 

In atonement shed ? 
Can the dust give glory, — 

Praise employ the dead? 
Hear me, Lord, in mercy ; 

God, my helper, hear :" 
— Long thou didst not tarry, 

Help and health were near. 

Thou hast turned my mournings 
Into minstrelsy, 



30 

Girded me with gladness, 
Set from thraldom free : 

Thee my ransom''d powers 
Henceforth shall adore,— 

Thee, my great Deliverer, 
Bless for evermore. 



PSALM XXXIX. 

Lord, let me know mine end, 
My days, how brief their date. 

That I may timely comprehend 
How frail my best estate. 

My life is but a span. 

Mine age as nought with Thee ; 
Man, in his highest honour, man 

Is dust and vanity. 



31 



A shadow even in health, 

Disquieted with pride, 
Or rack'd with care, he heaps up wealth 

Which unknown heirs divide. 

What seek I now, O Lord 1 

My hope is in thy name ; 
Blot out my sins from thy record, 

Nor give me up to shame. 

Dumb at thy feet I lie. 

For Thou hast brought me low ; 
Remove thy judgments, lest I die ; 

I faint beneath thy blow. 

At thy rebuke, the bloom 

Of man's vain beauty flies ; 
And grief shall, like a moth, consume 

All that delights our eyes. 



32 

Have pity on my fears, 

Harken to my request, 
Turn not in silence from my tears, 

But give the mourner rest. 

A stranger. Lord, with Thee, 

I walk on pilgrimage, 
Where all my fathers once, like me, 

Sojourn'd from age to age. 

O spare me yet, I pray ; 

Awhile my strength restore, 
Ere I am summon'd hence away. 

And seen on earth no more. 



33 

PSALM XLIL 

No. 1. 

As the hart, with eager looks, 
Panteth for the water-brooks, 
So my soul, athirst for Thee, 
Pants the living God to see ; 
When, O when, with filial fear, 
Lord, shall 1 to Thee draw near ? 

Tears my lb od by night, by day 
Grief consumes my strength away; 
While his craft the Tempter plies, 
" Where is now thy God ?" he cries ; 
This would sink me to despair, 
But I pour my soul in prayer. 

For in happier times I went, 
Where the multitude frequent ,• 
3 



34 

I, with them, was wont to bring 
Homage to thy courts, my King ; 
I, with them, was wont to raise 
Festal hymns on holy days. 

Why art thou cast down, my soul ? 
God, thy God, shall make the whole ; 
Why art thou disquieted ? 
God shall lift thy fallen head ; 
And his countenance benign 
Be the saving health of thine. 



PSALM XLII. 

No. 2. 

Hearken, Lord, to my complaints, 
For my soul within me faints ; 
Thee, far off, I call to mind, 
In the land I left behind. 



35 

Where the streams of Jordan flow, 
Where the heights of Hermon glow. 

Tempest-tost, my failing bark 
Founders on the ocean dark ; 
Deep to deep around me calls. 
With the rush of water-falls ; 
While I plunge to lower caves, 
Overwhelm'd by all thy waves. 

Once the morning's earliest light 
Brought thy mercy to my sight, 
And my wakeful song was heard 
Later than the evening bird ; 
Hast Thou all my prayers forgot ' 
Dost Thou scorn, or hear them not ? 

Why, my soul, art thou perplext? 
Why with faithless trouble vext ? 
Hope in God, whose saving nam* 
Thou shalt joyfully proclaim, 



36 



When his countenance shall shine 
Through the clouds that darken thine. 



PSALM XLIII. 
[Continuation of Psalm XLII.] 

No. 3. 

Judge me, Lord, in righteousness ; 
Plead for me in my distress ; 
Good and merciful Thou art, 
Bind this bleeding, broken heart ; 
Cast me not despairing hence, 
Be thy love my confidence. 

Send thy light and truth, to guide 
Me, too prone to turn aside, 
On thy holy hill to rest. 
In thy tabernacles blest ; 
There, to God, my chiefest joy. 
Praise shall all my powers employ. 



37 

Why, my soul, art thou dismay 'd? 
Why, of earth or hell afraid? 
Trust iu God ; — disdain to yield, 
While o'er thee He casts his shield. 
And his countenance divine 
Sheds the light of Heaven on thine 



PSALM XLVI. 

-No. 1. 

God is our refuge and defence, 

In trouble our unfailing aid ; 
Secure in his omnipotence, 

W^hat foe can make our soul afraid ? 

Yea, though the earth's foundations rock, 
And mountains down the gulf be hurl'd. 

His people smile amid the shock. 

They look beyond this transient world. 
3* 



38 



There is a river pure and bright, [plains ; 

Whose streams make glad the heavenly 
Where, in eternity of light. 

The city of our God remains. 

Built by the word of his command. 
With his unclouded presence blest, 

Firm as his throne the bulwarks stand ; 
There is our home, our hope, our rest. 

Thither let fervent faith aspire ; 

Our treasure and our heart be there ; 
O for a seraph's wing of fire ! 

No, — on the mightier wings of prayer, — 

We reach at once that last retreat, 

And, ranged among the ransom'd throng, 

Fall with the Elders at his feet, 

Whose name alone inspires their song. 



39 

Ah, soon ; how soon ! our spirits droop ; 

Unwont the air of heaven to breathe : 
Yet God in very deed will stoop, 

And dwell Himself with men beneath. 

Come to thy living temples, then, 
As in the ancient times appear ; 

Let earth be paradise again, 

And man, O God, thine image here. 



PSALM XLVI. 

No. 2. 

80ME and behold the works of God, 
What desolations He will make ; 
In vengeance, when he wields his rod, 
The heathen rage, their kingdoms quake 
He utters forth his voice ; — 'tis felt ; 
Like wax the world's foundations melt 



40 

The Lord of hosts is in the field, 
The God of Jacob is our shield. 

Again He inaketh wars to cease, 

He breaks the bow, unpoints the spear, 
And burns the chariot ; — joy and peace 
In all his glorious march appear : 
Silence, O earth ! thy Maker own ; 
Ye Gentiles, He is God alone ; 
The Lord of hosts is in the field, 
The God of Jacob is our shield. 



PSALM XLVH. 

Extol the Lord, the Lord most high, 

King over all the earth ; 
Exalt his triumphs to the sky 

In songs of sacred mirth. 



Where''er the sea-ward rivers run, 
His banner shall advance. 



41 

And every realm beneath the sun 
Be his inheritance. 

God is gone up with loud acclaim, 

And trumpets' tuneful voice ; 
Sing praise, sing praises to his name ; 

Sing praises, and rejoice. 

Sing praises to our God ; sing praise 

To every creature's King ; 
His wondrous works, his glorious ways, 

All tongues, all kindred sing. 

God sits upon his holy throne, 
God o'er the heathen reigns ; 

His truth through all the world is known, 
That truth his throne sustains. 

Princes around his footstool throng, 
Kings in the dust adore ; 



42 

Earth and her shields to God belong"; 
Sing praises evermore. 



PSALM XLVIIL 

Jehovah is great, and great be his praise ; 

In the citj of God He is king ; 
Proclaim ye his triumphs in jubilant lays, 

On the mount of his holiness sing. 

The joy of the earth, from her beautiful 
height, 

Is Zion's impregnable hill ; 
The Lord in her temple still taketh delight, 

God reigns in her palaces still. 

At the sight of her splendour, the kings of 
the earth 
Grew pale with amazement and dread ^ 



43 

Fear seized them like pangs of a premature 
birth ; 
They came, they beheld her, and fled. 

Thou breakest the ships from the sea-circled 
chmes. 
When the storm of thy jealousy lowers ; 
As our fathers have told of thy deeds, in 
their times, 
So, Lord, have we witness'd in ours. 

In the midst of thy temple, O God, hath our 
mind 
Remember'd thy mercy of old ; 
Let thy name, like thy praise, to no realm 
be confined ; 
Thy power may all nations behold. 

Let the daughters of Judah be glad for thy 
love. 
The mountaifl of Zion rejoice. 



44 

For Thou wilt establish her seat from above, 
— Wilt make her the throne of thy choice. 

Go, walk about Zion, and measure the length, 
Her walls and her bulwarks mark well ; 

Contemplate her palaces, glorious in strength. 
Her towers and their pinnacles tell. 

Then say to your children; — Our strong 
hold is tried ; 

This God is our God to the end ; 
His people for ever his counsels shall guide^ 

His arm shall for ever defend. 



PSALM LI. 



Have mercy on me, O my God, 

In loving kindness hear my prayer ; 

Withdraw the terror of thy rod ; 
Lord, in thy tender mercy spare. 



4b 

Offences rise where'er I look ; 

But I confess their guilt to Thee ; 
Blot my transgressions from thy book, 

Cleanse me from mine iniquity. 

Whither from vengeance can I run ? 

Just are thy judgments, Lord, and right ; 
For all the evil I have done, 

I did it only in thy sight. 

Shapen in frailty, born in sin, 
From error how shall I depart? 

Lo, thou requirest truth within ; 

Lord, write thy truth upon my heart. 

Me through the blood of sprinkling make 
Pure from defilement, white as snow ; 

Heal me for my Redeemer's sake ; 
Then joy and gladness I shall know. 
4 



46 

A perfect heart in me create, 
Renew my soul in innocence ; 

Cast not the suppliant from thy gate, 
Nor take thine Holy Spirit hence. 

Thy consolations, as of old, 

Now to my troubled mind restore ; 
By thy free Spirit's might uphold 

And guide my steps, to fall no more. 

Then sinners will I teach thy ways, 
And rebels to thy sceptre bring ; 

— Open my lips, O God, in praise. 
So shall my mouth thy goodness sing. 

Not streaming blood, nor purging fire 
Thy righteous anger can appease ; 

Burnt-offerings Thou dost not require, 
Or gladly I would render these. 



47 

The broken heart in sacrifice, 

Alone may thine acceptance meet: 

My heart, O God, do not despise, 
Broken and contrite, at thy feet. 



PSALM LXIII. 

O God, Thou art my God alone. 
Early to thee my soul shall cry, 

A pilgrim in a land unknown, 

A thirsty land whose springs are dry. 

O that it were as it hath been. 
When, praj'ing in the holy place. 

Thy power and glory I have seen, 
And markM the footsteps of thy grace. 

Yet through this rough and thorny maze, 
I follow hard on thee, my God ; 



48 

Thine hand unseen upholds my ways, 
I safely tread where Thou hast trod. 

Thee, in the watches of the night, 

When I remember on my bed. 
Thy presence makes the darkness light, 

Thy guardian wings are round my head. 

Better than life itself thy love, 

Dearer than all beside to me ; 
For whom have I in heaven above. 

Or what on earth, compared with Thee ? 

Praise with my heart, my mind, my voice. 

For all thy mercy I will give ; 
•My soul shall stiii in God rejoice, 

My tongue shall bless Thee while I live. 



49 



PSALM LXIX. 

God, be merciful to me, 
For my spirit trusts in Thee, 
And to thee her refuge springs ; 
Be the shadow of thy wings 
Round the trembling sinner cast, 
Till the storm is overpast. 

From the water-floods that roll 
Deep and deeper round my soul, 
Me, thine arm almighty take. 
For thy loving kindness' sake ; 
If thy truth from me depart. 
Thy rebuke would break my heart. 

Foes increase, they close me round, 
Friend nor comforter is found ; 
Sore temptations now assail, 
Hope, and strength, and courage fail ; 
4* 



50 

Turn not from thy servant's grief, 
Hasten, Lord, to my relief 

Poor and sorrowful am I ; 
Set me, O my God, on hi'xh ; 
Wonders Thou for me hast wrought 
Nigh to death my soul is brought ; 
Save me. Lord, in mercy save, 
Lest I sink below the grave. 



PSALM LXX. 



Hasten, Lord, to my release, 
Haste to help me, O my God ! 

Foes, like armed bands, increase ; 
Turn them back the way they trod. 

Dark temptations round me press. 
Evil thoughts my soul assail ; 



5J 

Doubts and fears, in my distress, 
Rise, till flesh and spirit fail. 

Those that seek Thee shall rejoice ; 

I am bowM with misery ; 
Yet I make thy law my choice ; 

Turn, my God, and look on me. 

Thou mine only Helper art, 
My Redeemer from the grave ; 

Strength of my desiring heart. 
Do not tarry, haste to save. 



PSALM LXXI. 

Lord, I have put my trust ifi Thee, 
Turn not my confidence to shame ; 

Thj^ promise is a rock to me, 
A tower of refuge is thy name. 



52 

Thou hast upheld me from the womb ; 

Thou wert my strength and hope in youth ; 
Now, trembling, bending o'er the tomb, 

I lean upon thine arm of truth. 

Though I have long outlived my peers, 
And stand amid the world alone, 

(A stranger, lei\ by former years,) 
I know my god, — by him am known. 

Cast me not off in mine old age. 
Forsake me not in my last hour ; 

The foe hath not forgone his rage, 
The lion ravens to devour. 

Not far, my God, not far remove : 

Sin and the world still spread their snares ; 

Stand by me now, or they will prove 
Too crafty yet for my grey hairs. 



53 



Me, through what troubles hast Thou 
brought ! 

Me, with what consolations crown'd ! 
Now be thy last deliverance wrought ; 

My soul in peace with Thee be found. 



PSALM LXXII. 

Hail to the lord's anointed ! 

Great David's greater Son ; 
Hail, in the time appointed, 

His reign on earth begun ! 
He comes to break oppression, 

To let the captive free ; 
To take away transgression. 

And rule in equity. 

He comes, with succour speedy. 
To those who suffer wrong ] 



54 

To help the poor and needy, 
And bid the weak be strong ; 

To give them songs for sighing, 
Their darkness turn to light, 

Whose souls, condemn'd and dying, 
Were precious in his sight. 

By such shall He be feared, 

While sun and moon endure. 
Beloved, obey'd, revered ; 

For He shall judge the poor, 
Through changing generations. 

With justice, mercy, truth. 
While stars maintain their stations, 

Or moons renew their youth. 

He shall come down, like showers 

Upon the fruitful earth. 
And love, joy, hope, like flowers, 

Spring in his path to birth : 



55 

Before Him, on the mountains, 
Shall Peace the herald go ; 

And righteousness in fountain? 
From hill to valley flow. 

Arabia's desert-ranger. 

To him shall bow the knee ; 
The Ethiopian stranger 

His glory come to see ; 
With oft'erings of devotion, 

Ships from the isles shall meet, 
To pour the wealth of ocean 

In tribute at his feet, 

Kings shall fall down before Him, 
And Gold and incense bring ; 

All nations shall adore him, 
His praise all people sing ; 

For He shall have dominion 
O'er river, sea, and shore^ 



56 

For as the eagle's pinion, 

Or dove's light wing can soar. 

For Him shall prayer unceasing, 

And daily vows, ascend ; 
His kingdom still increasing, 

A kingdom without end : 
The mountain-dews shall nourish 

A seed in weakness sown. 
Whose fruit shall spread and flourish, 

And shake like Lebanon. 

O'er every foe victorious, 

He on his throne shall rest, 
From age to age more glorious, 

All-blessing and all-blest : 
The tide of time shall never 

His covenant remove ; 
His name shall stand for ever ; 

That name to us is — Love. 



57 



PSALM LXXIII. 

Truly the Lord is good to those, 

The pure in heart, who love his name ; 

But as for me, temptation rose, 

And well-nigh cast me down to shame. 

For I was envious at their state, 
Wh ii I beheld the wicked rise, 

And flourish in their pride elate, 
No fear of death before their eyes. 

Not troubled they, as others are, 

Nor plagued, with all their vain pretence ; 
Pride like a chain of gold they wear. 

And clothe themselves with violence. 

Swoln are their eyes with wine and lust. 
For more than heart can wish have they : 



58 

In fraud and tyranny they trust 

To make the multitude their prey. 

Their mouth assails the heavens ; their 
tongue 

Walks arrogantly through the earth ; 
Pleasure's full cups to them are wrung ,* 

They reel in revelry and mirth. 

" Who is the Lord, that we should fear, 
Lest He our dark devices know ? 

Who the Most High, that He should hear, 
Or heed, the words of men below ?" 

Thus cry the mockers, flush'd with health, 
Exulting while their joys increase ; 

These are the ungodly ;-men, whose wealth 
Flows like a river, ne'er to cease. 

And have I cleansed my heart in vain, 
And wash'd in innocence my hands ? 



59 

All day afflicted, I complain, 

All night I mourn in straitening bands. 

Too painful this for me to view. 
Till to thy temple, Lord, I went. 

And then their fearful end I knew. 
How suddenly their light is spent. 

Surely in slippery places set, 

Down to perdition these are hurlM ; 

Snared in the toils of their own net, 
A spectacle to all the world. 

As, from a dream when one awakes, 
The phantoms of the brain take flight j 

So when thy wrath in thunder breaks. 
Their image shall dissolve in night. 

Abash'd, my folly then I saw ; 
I seem'd before Thee like a brute : 



60 

Smit to the heart, o'erwhelm'd with awe, 

I bowM, and worshipp'd, and was mute. I 

Yet Thou art ever at my side ; 

O, still uphold me, and defend ; 
Me by thy counsel Thou shalt guide, j 

And bring to glory in the end. I 

Whom have 1, Lord, in heaven but Thee ? 

On earth shall none divide my heart; 
Then tail my llesh, my spirit Hee, 

Thou mine eternal portion art. 



PSALM LXXVII. 

In time of tribulation, 

Hear, Lord, my feeble cries ; 
With humble supplication, 

To Thee my spirit flies ; 



61 

My heart with grief is breaking, 
Scarce can my voice complain ; 

Mine eyes with tears kept waking, 
Still watch and weep in vain. 

The days of old, in vision, 

Bring vanish'd bliss to view ; 
The years of lost fruition 

Their joys in pangs renew : 
Remember'd songs of gladness. 

Through night's lone silence brought, 
Strike notes of deeper sadness, 

And stir desponding thought. 

Hath God cast off for ever ? 

Can time his truth impair? 
His tender mercy, never 

Shall I presume to share ? 
Hath He, his loving kindness 

Shut up in endless wrath ? 

5* 



62 

— ]Vo ; — this i« mine own blindness, 
That cannot see his path. 

I call to recollection 

The 3 ears of his right hand ; 
And, strong in his protection, 

Again through faith I stand ; 
Thy deeds, O Lord, are wonder ; 

Hol}^ are all thy whys ; 
The secret place of thunder 

Shall utter forth thy praise. 

Thee, with the tribes assembled, 

O God, the billows saw ; 
They saw Thee, and they trembled, 

TurnM, and stood still, with awe ; 
The clouds shot hail — they lightened 

The earth re e I'd to and fro ; 
The fierj'^ pillar brighten'd 

The gulf of gloom below. 



63 

Thy way is in great waters, 

Thy footsteps are not known ; 
Let Adam's sons and daughters 

Confide in Thee alone ; 
Through the wild sea Thou leddest 

Thy chosen flock of yore, 
Still on the waves Thou treadest, 

And thy redeem'd pass o'er. 



PSALM LXXX. 

Of old, O God, thine own right hand 
A pleasant vine did plant and train ; 

Above the hills, o'er all the land. 
It sought the sun, and drank the rain. 

Its boughs like goodly cedars spread. 
Forth to the river went the root ; 

Perennial verdure crown'd its head, 
It bore, in every season, fruit. 



64 

That vine is desolate and torn, 

Its scions in the dust are laid ; 
Rank o'er the ruin springs the thorn, 

The wild boar wallows in the shade. 

Lord God of Hosts, thine ear incline, 
Change into songs thy people's fears ; 

Return, and visit this thy vine. 

Revive thy work amidst the years. 

The plenteous and continual dew 
Of thy rich blessing here descend j 

So shall thy vine its leaf renew. 

Till o'er the earth its branches bend. 

Then shall it flourish wide and far. 

While realms beneath its shadow rest ; 

The morning and the evening star 

Shall mark its bounds from east to west. 



05 

So shall thine enemies be dumb, 

Thy banishM ones no more enslaved. 

The fulness of the Gentiles come, 
And Israelis youngest born be saved. 



PSALM LXXXIV. 

Hovr amiable, how fair, 

O Lord of Hosts, to me, 
Thy tabernacles are ! 

My flesh cries out for Thee ; 
My heart and soul, with heaven-ward tire, 
To Thee, the living God, aspire. 

The sparrow here finds place 

To build her little nest ; 
The swallow''s wandering race 

Hither return and rest ; 
Beneath thy roof their young ones cry, 
And round thine altar learn to fly. 



66 



Thrice-blessed they who dwell 

Within thine house, my God, 
Where daily praises swell, 

And still the floor is trod 
By those, who in thy presence bow, 
By those, whose I^ng and God art Thou. 

Through Baca's arid vale, 

As pilgrims when they pass, 
The weii-springs never fail, 

Fresh rain renews the grass ; 
From strength to strength they journey still, 
Till all appear on Zlon's hill. 

Lord God of Hosts, give ear, 

A gracious answer yield ; 
O God of Jacob, hear ; 

Behold, O God, our shield ; 
Look on thine own Anointed One, 
And save through thy beloved Son, 



67 

Lord, I would rather stand 

A keeper at thy gate, 
Than on the king's right hand 

In tents of worldly state ; 
One day within thy courts, one day. 
Is worth a thousand cast away. 

God is a sun of light, 

Glory and grace to shed ; 
God is a shield of might, 

To guard the faithful head ; 
O Lord of Hosts, how happy he, 
The man who puts his trust m Thee ! 



PSALM XC. 



Lord, Thou hast been thy people's rest 
Through all their generations. 

Their refuge when by danger prestj 
Their hope in tribulations ; 



^8 



Thou, ere the mountains sprang to birth, 
Or ever Thou hadst formM the earth, 
Art God from everlastmg. 

The sons of men return to clay, 
When Thou the word hast spoken, 

As with a torrent borne away, 
Gone hke a dream when broken : 

A thousand years are, in thy sight, 

But as a watch amid the night, 
Or yesterday departed. 

At morn, we flourish hke the grass 
With dew and sunbeams hghted, 

But ere the cool of evening pass. 
The rich array is blighted : 

Thus do thy chastisements consume 

Youth's tender leaf and beauty's bloom ; 
We fade at thy displeasure. 



69 



Our life is like the transient breath 
That tells a mournful story, 

Early or late, stopt short by death ; 
And where is all our glory ? 

Our days are threescore years and ten, 

And if the span be lengthen'd then. 
Their strength is toil and sorrow. 

Lo, Thou hast set before thine eye? 

All our misdeeds and errors ; 
Our secret sins from darkness rise, 

At thine awakening terrors : 
Who shall abide the trying hour ? 
Who knows the thunder of thy power ? 

We flee unto thy mercy. 

Lord, teach us so to mark our days, 
That we may prize them duly ; 

So guide our feet in Wisdom's ways. 
That we may love thee truly : 
6 



70 

Return, O Lord, our griefs behold, 
And with thy goodness, as of old, 
O satisfy us early. 

Restore our comforts as our fears. 

Our joy as our affliction ; 
Give to thy Church, through changing years, 

Increasing benediction ; 
Thy glorious beauty there reveal, 
And with thy perfect image seal 

Thy servants and their labours. 



PSALM XCL 

Call Jehovah thy salvation, 

Rest beneath the Almighty's shade ; 
In his secret habitation 

Dwell, nor ever be dismay'd : 
There no tumult can alarm thee. 

Thou shalt dread no hidden snare ; 



71 

Guile nor violence can harm thee, 
In eternal safeguard there. 

From the sword at noon-day wasting. 

From the noisome pestilence, 
In the depth of midnight blasting, 

God shall be thy sure defence : 
Fear not thou the deadly quiver, 

When a thousand feel the blow ; 
Mercy shall thy soul deliver, 

Though ten thousand be laid low. 

Only with thine eye, the anguish 

Of the wicked thou shalt see, 
When by slow disease they languish, 

When they perish suddenly : 
Thee, though winds and waves be swelling, 

God, thine hope, shall bear through all; 
Plague shall not come nigh thy dwelling, 

Thee no evil shall befall. 



72 

He shall charge his angel-legions, 

Watch and ward o'er thee to keep, 
Though thou walk through hostile regions, 

Though in desert-wilds thou sleep ; 
On the lion vainly roaring, 

On his young, thy foot shall tread, 
And, the dragon's den exploring, 

Thou shalt bruise the serpent's head. 

Since, with pure and firm affection. 

Thou on God hast set thy love. 
With the wings of his protection. 

He will shield thee from above : 
Thou shalt call on Him in trouble, 

He will hearken, He will save. 
Here for grief reward thee double, 

Grown with life beyond the grave. 



73 



PSALM XCIIl. 

The Lord is King ; — upon his throne, 
He sits in garments glorious ; 

Or girds for war his armour on, 
In every field victorious : 

The world came forth at his command 

Built on his word, its pillars stand ; 
They never can be shaken. 

The Lord was King ere time began, 

His reign is everlasting ; 
When high the floods in tumult ran, 

Their foam to heaven up-casting, 
He made the raging waves his path ; 
— The sea is mighty in its wrath, 

But God on high is mightier. 

Thy testimonies, Lord, are sure ; 
Thy realm fears no commotion, 



74 

Firm as the earth, whose shores endure 

The eternal toil of ocean. 
And Thou with perfect peace wilt bless 
Thy faithful flock ; — for holiness 

Becomes thine house for ever. 



PSALM XCV. 



O COME, let us sing to the Lord, 

In God our salvation rejoice ; 
In psalms of thanksgiving record 

His praise, with one spirit, one voice 
For Jehovah is King, and He reigns, 

The God of all gods, on his throne ; 
The strength of the hills He maintains, 

The ends of the earth are his own. 

The sea is Jehovah's ; — He made 
The tide its dominion to know ; 



75 

The land is Jehovah's ; — He laid 

It's solid foundations below : 
O come let us worship, and kneel 

Before our Creator, our God ; 
— The people who serve him with zeal, 

— The flock whom He guides with his rod. 

As Moses, the fathers of old, 

Through the sea and the wilderness led, 
His wonderful works we behold, 

With manna from heaven are fed : 
To-day, let us hearken, to-day. 

To the voice that yet speaks from above, 
And all his commandments obey, 

For all his commandments are love. 

His wrath let us fear to provoke, 

To dwell in his favour unite ; 
His service is freedom, his yoke 

Is easy, his burden is lig^ht : 



76 

But, oh ! of rebellion beware, 

Rebellion, that hardens the breast, 

Lest God in his anger should swear 
That we shall not enter his rest. 



PSALM C. 



Be joyful in God, all ye lands of the earth, 
O serve Him with gladness and fear ; 

Exult in his presence with music and mirth, 
With love and devotion draw near. 

For Jehovah is God, — and Jehovah alone, 

Creator and ruler o'er all ; 
And we are his people, his sceptre we own ; 

His sheep, and we follow his call. 

O enter his gates with thanksgiving and song, 
Your vows in his temple proclaim ; 



77 

His praise with melodious accordance pro- 
And bless his adorable name. [loi^g 

For good is the Lord, inexpressibly good, 
And we are the work of his hand ; 

His mercy and truth from eternity stood, 
And shall to eternity stand. 



PSALM CHI, 



O MY soul, with all thy powers. 

Bless the Lord's most holy name ; 
O my soul, till hfe's last hours. 

Bless the Lord, his praise proclaim ; 
Thme infirmities He healM ; 
He thy peace and pardon seai'd. 

He with loving-kindness crowned thee. 
Satisfied thy mouth with good ; 



78 

From the snares of death unbound thee, 
Eagle-like thy youth renewM : 
Rich in tender mercy He, 
Slow to wrath, to favour free. 

He will not retain displeasure. 

Though awhile He hide his face ; 
Nor his God-like bounty measure 
By our merit, but his grace ; 

As the heaven the earth transcends, 
Over us his care extends. 

Far as east and west are parted, 
He our sins hath severM thus ; 
As a father loving-hearted 

Spares his son, He spareth us ; 
For he knows our feeble frame. 
He remembers whence we came, 

Mark the field-ilower where it groweth. 
Frail and beautiful ; — anon, 



79 

When the south-wind softly bloweth^ 
Look again, — the flower is gone ; 
Such is man ; his honours pass, 
Like the glory of the grass. 

From eternity, enduring 

To eternity, — the Lord, 
Still his people's bliss insuring, 
Keeps his covenanted word ; 

Yea with truth and righteousness, 
Children's children He will bless. 

As in heaven, his throne and dwelling, 

King on earth He holds his sway ; 
Angels, ye in strength excelling. 
Bless the Lord, his voice obey ; 
All his works beneath the pole, 
Bless the Lord, with thee, my soul 



80 



PSALM CIV. 

My soul, adore the Lord of mig-ht ; 

With uncreated glory crown'd, 
And clad in royalty of light, 

He draws the curtain'd heavens around ; 
Dark waters his pavilion form. 
Clouds are his car, his wheels the storm. 

Lightning before Him, and behind 
Thunder rebounding to and fro ; 
He walks upon the winged wind. 
And reins the blast, or lets it go : 

— This goodly globe his wisdom plann'd, 
He fix'd the bounds of sea and land. 

When o'er a guilty world, of old, 
He summoned the avenging main, 

At his rebuke the billows rolPd 
Back to their parent-gulf again ; 



81 

The mountains raised their joyful heads. 
Like new creations, from their beds. 

Thenceforth the self-revolving tide 
Its daily fall and flow maintains ; 
Through winding vales fresh fountains glide, 
Leap from the hills, or course the plains . 
There thirsty cattle throng the brink, 
And the wild asses bend to drink. 

Fed by the currents, fruitful groves 

Expand their leaves, their fragrance fling, 

Where the cool breeze at noon-tide roves, 
And birds among the branches sing; 
Soft tall the showers when day declines. 

And sweet the peaceful rainbow shines. 

Grass through the meadows, rich with flow- 
ers, 
God's bounty spreads for herds and flocks : 

7 



82 

On Lebanon his cedar towers, 
The wild goats bound upon his rocks ; 
Fowls in his forests build their nests, 
— The stork amid the pine-tree rests. 

To strengthen man, condemned to toil, 

He fills with grain the golden ear ; 
Bids the ripe olive melt with oil, 

And swells the grape, man's heart to cheer : 
— The moon her tide of changing knows, 
Her orb with lustre ebbs and Hows. 

The sun goes down, the stars come out ; 

He maketh darkness, and 'tis night ; 
Then roam the beasts of prey about, 
The desert rings with chase and flight : 
The lion, and the lion's brood, 
Look up, — and God provides them food. 

Morn dawns far east ; ere long the sun 
Warms the glad nations with his beams ; 



83 

Day, in their dens, the spoilers shun, 
And night returns to them in dreams : 
Man from his couch to labour goes, 
Till evening brings again repose. 

How manifold thy works, O Lord, 

In wisdom, power, and goodness wrought ! 
The earth is with thy riches stored. 
And ocean with thy wonders fraught : 
Unfathomed caves beneath the deep 
For Thee their hidden treasures keep. 

There go the ships, with sails unfurl'd, 

By Thee directed on their way ; 
There in his own mysterious world, 
Leviathan delights to play ; 

And tribes that range immensity, 
Unknown to man, are known to Thee 

By Thee alone the living live ; 

Hide but thy face, their comforts fly : 



84 



They gather what thy seasons give ; 
Take Thou away their breath, they die 
Send forth thy Spirit from above, 
And all is life again, and love. 

Joy In his works Jehovah takes, 

Yet to destruction they return ; 
He looks upon the earth, it quakes, 

Touches the mountains, and -hey burn ; 
— Thou, God, for ever art the same ; 
1 AM is thine unchanging name. 



PSALM CVII. 

No. 1. 



Thank and praise Jehovah's name, 
For his mercies, firm and sure, 

From eternity, the same 
To eternity, endure. 



85 

Let the ransom'd thus rejoice, 
GatherM out of every land, 

As the people of his choice ; 

Pluck'd from the destroyer's hand. 

In the wilderness astray. 

Hither, thither, while they roam, 
Hungry, fainting by the way, 

Far from refuge, shelter, home : — 

Then unto the Lord they cry, 
He inclines a gracious ear. 

Sends deliverance from on high, 
Rescues them from all their fear. 

To a pleasant land He brings. 
Where the vine and olive grow. 

Where from flowery hills the springs 
Through luxuriant valleys flow. 



86 

O that men would praise the Lord^ 
For his goodness to their race ; 

For the wonders of his word, 
And the riches of his grace ! 



PSALM CVII. 

No. 2. 

They that mourn in dungeon-gloom, 
Bound in iron and despair, 

Sentenced to a heavier doom 

Than the pangs they suffer there ;- 

Foes and rebels once to God, 

They disdain'd his high controulj 

Now they feel his fiery rod 

Striking terrors through their spul, 



87 



Wrun^ with agony they fall 
To the dust, and gazing round, 

Call for help ; — in vain they call, 

Help, nor hope, nor friend are found. 

Then unto the Lord they cry. 

He inclines a gracious ear, 
Sends deliverance from on high, 

Rescues them from all their fear. 

He restores their forfeit-breath, 
Breaks in twain the gates of brass j 

From the bands and grasp of death. 
Forth to liberty they pass. 

O that men would praise the Lord, 
For his goodness to their race j 

For the wonders of his word. 
And the riches of his ^ace * 



88 

PSALM CVII. 

No. 3. 

Fools, for their transgression, see 
Sharp disease their youth consume, 

And their beauty, like a tree. 
Withering o'er an early tomb. 

Food is loathsome to their taste, 
And the eye revolts from light j 

All their joys to ruin haste, 
As the sunset into night. 

Then unto the Lord they cry. 
He inclines a gracious ear. 

Sends deliverance from on high, 
Rescues them from all their fear. 



89 

He with health renews their frame, 
Lengthens out their number'd days ; 

Let them glorify his name 
With the sacrifice of praise. 

O that men would praise the Lord, 
For his goodness to their race ; 

For the wonders of his word, 
And the riches of his grace 1 



PSALM CVIL 

No. 4. 

They that toil upon the deep, 
And in vessels light and frail, 

O'er the mighty waters sweep 
With the billow and the gale,- 



90 

iVIark what wonders God perforins, 
When He speaks, and, unconiined, 

Rush to battle all his storms 
In the chariots of the wind. 

Up to heaven their bark is whirPd 
On the mountain of the wave ; 

Down as suddenly 'tis huri'd 
To the abysses of the grave. 

To and fro they reel, they roll, 

As intoxicate with wine ; 
Terrors paralyze their soul, 

Helm they quit, and hope resign. 

Then unto the Lord they cry, 
He inclines a gracious ear. 

Sends deliverance from on high. 
Rescues them from all their fear. 



91 

Galm and smooth the surges flow, 
And, where deadly lightning ran, 

God's own reconciling bow 
Metes the oceaa with a span. 

O that men would praise the Lord, 
For his goodness to their race ; 

For the wonders of his word. 
And the riches of his grace ! 



PSALM CVII. 

No. 5. 

Let the elders praise the Lord, 
Him let all the people praise. 

When they meet with one accord 
In his courts, on holy days. 

God for sin will vengeance take, 
Smite the earth with sore distress, 



92 

And a fruitful region make 
As the howling wilderness. 

But when mercy stays h}^ hand, 
Famine, plague, and death depart ; 

Yea the rock, at his command, 
Pours a river from its heart. 

There the hungry dwell in peace, 
Cities build, and plough the ground, 

While their flocks and herds increase, 
And their corn and wine abound. 

Should they yet rebel, — his arm 
Lays their pride again in dust : 

But the poor He shields from harm, 
And in him the righteous trust. 

Whoso wisely marks his will. 
Thus evolving bliss from woe, 



93 

Shall, redeem'd from every ill, 
All his loving-kindness know. 



PSALM CXIII. 

Servants of God, in joyful lays, 
Sing ye the Lord Jehovah's praise ; 
His glorious name let all adore, 
From age to age, for evermore. 

Blest be that name, supremely blest, 
From the sun's rising to its rest ; 
Above the heavens his power is known, 
Through all the earth his goodness shown 

Who is like God ? — so great, so high, 
He bows Himself to view the sky, 
8 



94 

And yet, with condescending grace, 
Looks down upon the human race. 

He hears the uncomplaining moan 
Of those who sit and weep alone ; 
He lifts the mourner from the dust, 
And saves the poor in Him that trust. 

Servants of God, in joyful lays, 
Sing ye the Lord Jehovah's praise ; 
His saving name let all adore, 
Prom age to age, for evermore. 



PSALM CXVL 

I LOVE the Lord ; — He lent an ear 
When I for help implored ; 

He rescued me from all my fear, 
Therefore I love the Lord. 



95 



Bound hand and foot with chahis ol'siu, 
Death dragg'd me for his prey ; 

The pit was moved to take me in ; 
All hope was far away. 

I cried in agony of mind, 

" Lord, I beseech Thee, save :" 

He heard me ; — Death his prey resign'd, 
And Mercy shut the grave. 

Return, my soul, unto thy rest, 

From God no longer roam ; 
His hand hath bountifully blest. 

His goodness call'd thee home. 

What shall I render unto Thee, 

My Saviour in distress. 
For all thy benefits to me. 

So great and numberless ? 



96 

This will I do, for thy love's sake, 
And thus thy power proclaim ; 

The sacramental cup I take, 
And call upon thy name. 

Thou God of covenanted grace, 
Hear and record my vow, 

While in thy courts I seek thy face. 
And at thine altar bow : — 

Henceforth to Thee myself I give ; 

With single heart and eye. 
To walk before Thee while I live, 
And bless Thee when I die. 



PSALM cxvn. 

All ye Gentiles, praise the Lord, 
All ye lands, your voices raise : 



97 

Heaven and earth, with loud accord, 
Praise the Lord, for ever praise. 

For his truth and mercy stand, 
Past, and present, and to be, 

Like the years of his right-hand 
Like his own eternity. 

Praise Him, ye who know his love, 
Praise Him from the depths beneath, 

Praise Him in the heights above ; 
Praise your Maker, all that breathe. 



PSALM CXXL 

Encompass'd with ten thousand ills, 

Prest by pursuing foes, 
I lift mine eyes unto the hills, 

From whence salvation flows. 
8* 



98 

My help is from the Lord, who made 
And governs earth and sky ; 

I look to his almighty aid, 
And ever-watching eye. 

— He who thy soul in safety keeps 
Shall drive destruction hence ; 

The Lord thy keeper never sleeps ; 
The Lord is thy defence. 

The sun, with his afflictive light, 
Shall harm thee not by day ; 

Nor thee the moon molest by night 
Along thy tranquil way. 

Thee shall the Lord preserve from sin, 

And comfort in distress ; 
Thy going out and coming in, 

The Lord thy God shall bless. 



99 



PSALM CXXIl. 

Glad was my heart to hear 

My old companions say, 
Come — in the house of God appear, 

For 'tis an holy day. 

Our willing feet shall stand 

Within the temple-door, 
While young and old^ in many a band, 

Shall throng the sacred floor. 

Thither the tribes repair, 
Where all are wont to meet. 

And, joyful in the house of prayer, 
Bend at the mercy-seat. 

Pray for Jerusalem, 
The city of our God ; 



100 

The Lord from heaven be kind to them 
That love the dear abode. 

Within these walls may peace 

And harmony be found ; 
Zion, in all thy palaces, 

Prosperity abound ! 

For friends and brethren dear, 
Our prayer shall never cease ; 

Oft as they meet for worship here, 
God send his people peace ! 



PSALM CXXIV. 

The Lord is on our side, 
His people now may say ; 

The Lord is on our side, — or we 
Had fallen a sudden prey. 



101 

Sin, Satan, Death and Hell, 

Like fire, against us rose ; 
Then had the flames consumed us quick, 

But God repell'd our foes. 

Like water they returned, 
When wildest tempests rave ; 

Then had the floods gone o'er our head, 
But God was there to save. 

From jeopardy redeem'd, 

As from the lion''s wrath, 
Mercy and truth uphold our life, 

And safety guards our path. 

Our soul escaped the toils ; 

As from the fowler's snare, 
The bird, with disentangled wings, 

FUts though the boundless air. 



102 

Our help is from the Lord ; 

In Him we will confide, [earth : 

Who stretch'd the heavens, who form'd the 

— The Lord is on our side. 



PSALM CXXV. 

Who make the Lord of Hosts their tower, 

Shall like Mount Zion be, 
Immoveable by mortal power, 

Built on eternity. 

As round about Jerusalem 

The guardian mountains stand, 

So shall the Lord encompass them. 
Who hold by his right hand. 

The rod of wickedness shall ne'er 
Against the just prevail, 



103 

Lest innocence should find a snare, 
And tempted virtue fail. 

Do good, O Lord, do good to those 
Who cleave to Thee in heart. 

Who on thy truth alone repose, 
Nor from thy law depart. 

While rebel-souls, who turn aside. 
Thine anger shall destroy, 

Do Thou in peace thy people guide 
To thine eternal joy. 



PSALM CXXVL 

When God from sin's captivity 
Sets his afflicted people free. 
Lost in amaze, their mercies seem 
The transient raptures of a dream. 



104 

But soon their ransom'd souls rejoice, 
And mirth and music swell their voice. 
Till foes confess, nor dare condemn, 
" The Lord hath done great things for them.'^ 

They catch the strain and answer thus, 
" The Lord hath done great things for us, 
Whence gladness fills our hearts, and songs, 
Sweet and spontaneous, wake our tongues." 

Turn our captivity, O Lord, 
As southern rivers, at thy word, 
Bound from their channels, and restore 
Plenty, where all was waste before. 

Who sow in tears shall reap in joy ; 
Nought shall the precious seed destroy- 
Nor long the weeping exiles roam. 
But bring their sheaves rejoicing home. 



105 



PSALM CXXX. 

Out of the depths of woe 

To Thee, O Lord, I cry ; 
Darkness surrounds me, but I know 

That Thou art ever nigh. 

Then hearken to my voice, 
Give ear to my complaint ; 

Thou bid'st the mourning soul rejoice. 
Thou comfortest the faint. 

I cast my hope on Thee, 

Thou canst. Thou wilt forgive ; 

Wert Thou to mark iniquity, 
Who in thy sight could live ? 

Humbly on Thee I wait, 
Confessing all my sin j 
9 



106 

Lord, 1 am knocking at thy gate ; 
Open, and take me in. 

Like them, whose longing eyes 

Watch, till the morning star [rise, 

(Though late and seen through tempests) 

Heaven's portals to unbar : — 

Like them I watch and pray, 

And though it tarry long, 
Catch the first gleam of welcome day, 

Then burst into a song. 

Glory to God above ; 

The waters soon will cease. 
For, lo I the swift returning dove 

Brings home the sign of peace. 

Though storms his face obscure, 
And dangers threaten loud, 



107 

Jehovah's covenant is sure, 
His bow is in the cloud. 



PSALM CXXXL 

Lord, forever at thy side 

Let my place and portion be j 

Strip me of the robe of pride. 
Clothe me with humility. 

Meekly may my soul receive 
All thy Spirit hath reveaPd ; 

Thou hast spoken, — I believe. 

Though the prophecy were seal'd. 

Quiet as a weaned child. 

Weaned from the mother's breast ; 
By no subtlety beguiFd, 

On thy faithful word I rest. 



108 

Saints, rejoicing evermore, 
In the Lord Jehovah trust : 

Him in all his ways adore, 
Wise, and wonderful, and just. 



PSALM CXXXII. 
No. 1. 

God in his temple let us meet, 

Low on your knees before Him bend j 

Here hath He fixM his mercy-seat, 
Here on his Sabbath we attend. 

Arise into thy resting-place. 

Thou, and thine ark of strength, O Lord ; 
Shine through the veil, we seek thy face : 

Speak, for we hearken to thy word. 



109 

With righteousness thy priests array ; 

Joyful thy chosen people be ; 
Let those who teach and those who pray, 

Let all — be holiness to Thee, 



PSALM CXXXIL 

No. 2. 

Lord, for thy servant David's sake, 
Perform thine oath to David's son ; — 

Thy truth Thou never wilt forsake ; — 
Look on thine own Anointed One. 

The Lord in faithfulness hath sworn, 
His throne for ever to maintain ; 

From realm to realm, the sceptre borne 
Shall stretch o'er earth Messiah's reign. 

9 * 



110 

Zion my chosen hill of old, 

My rest, my dwelling, my delight, 

With loving-kindness I uphold, 
Her walls are ever in my sight. 

I satisfy her poor with bread. 
Her tables with abundance bless, 

Joy on her sons and daughters shed, 

And clothe her priests with righteousness. 

There David's horn shall bud and bloom, 
The branch of glory and renown ; 

His foes my vengeance shall consume ; 
Him with eternal years I crown. 



PSALM cxxxni. 

How beautiful the sight 
Of brethren who agree 



Ill 

In friendship to unite, 

And bonds of charity ; 
'Tis hke the precious ointment, shed 
O'er all his robes, from Aaron's head. 

'Tis like the dews that fill 

The cups of Hermon's flowers ; 

Or Zion's fruitful hill, 

Bright with the drops of showers. 

When mingling odours breathe around, 

And glory rests on all the ground. 

For there the Lord commands 
Blessings, a boundless store, 

From his unsparing hands. 
Yea, life for evermore : 

Thrice happy they who meet above 

To spend eternity in love ! 



112 



PSALM CXXXIV. 

Bless ye the Lord with solemn rite 
In hymns extol his name, 

Ye who, within his house by night, 
Watch round the altar's flame. 

Lift up your hands amid the place, 
Where burns the sacred sign. 

And pray, that thus Jehovah's face 
O'er all the earth may shine. 

From Zion, from his holy hill, 
The Lord our Maker send 

The perfect knowledge of his will, 
Salvation without end. 



113 



PSALM CXXXVII. 

Where Babylon's broad rivers roll, 
In exile we sate down to weep, 

For thoughts of Zion o'er our soul 
Came, like departed joys, in sleep. 

Whose forms to sad remembrance rise, 

Though fled for ever from our eyes. 

Our harps upon the willows hung, 

Where, worn with toil, our limbs reclined 

The chords, untuned and trembling, rung 
With mournful music on the wind, 

While foes, insulting o'er our wrongs, 

Cried, — " Sing us one of Zion's songs." 

How can we sing the songs we love, 
Far from our own delightful land ? 

— If I prefer thee not above 

My chiefest joy, may this right hand, 



114 

Jerusalem ! — forget its skill, 

My tongue be dumb, my pulse be still. 



PSALM CXXXVIII. 

Thee will I praise, O Lord, in light. 
Where seraphim surround thy throne ; 

With heart and soul, with mind and might, 
Thee will I worship. Thee alone. 

I bow toward thy holy place ; 

For Thou, in mercy still the same, 
Hast magnified thy word of grace 

O'er all the wonders of thy name. 

In peril, when I cried to Thee, 

How did thy strength renew my soul ! 

Kings and their realms might bend the knee, 
Could I to man reveal the whole. 



115 

Thou, Lord, above all height art high, 
Yet with the lowly wilt Thou dwell ; 

The proud far off, thy jealous eye 
Shall mark, and with a look repel. 

Though in the depth of trouble thrown. 
With grief I shall not always strive, 

Thou wilt thy suffering servant own, 
And Thou the contrite heart revive. 

Thy purpose then in me fulfil ; 

Forsake me not, for I am thine ; 
Perfect in me thine utmost will ; 

— Whate'er it be, that will be mine. 



PSALM CXXXIX, 

Searcher of hearts to Thee are known 
The inmost secrets of my breast ; 



116 

At home, abroad, in crowds, alone, 

Thou mark'st my rising and my rest, 
My thoughts far off, through every maze, 
Source, stream, and issue, — all my ways. 

No word that from my mouth proceeds 
Evil or good, escapes thine ear ; 

Witness Thou art to all my deeds, 
Before, behind, for ever near : 

Such knowledge is for me too high ; 

I live but in my maker's eye. 

How from thy presence should I go, 
Or whither from thy Spirit flee, 

Since all above, around, below. 
Exist in thine immensity ? 

— If up to heaven I take my way, 

I meet Thee in eternal day. 

If in the grave I make my bed 
With worms and dust, lo, Thou art there ; 



117 

If, on the wings of morning sped, 

Beyond the ocean 1 repair, 
I feel thine all-controlling will, 
And Thy right-hand upholds me still. 

" Let darkness hide me,"'' if I say, 
Darkness can no concealment be ; 

Night, on thy rising, shines like day, 
Darkness and light are one with Thee 

For Thou mine embryo-form didst view 

Ere her own babe my mother knew. 

In me thy workmanship display'd, 

A miracle of power I stand ; 
Fearfully, wonderfully made. 

And framed in secret by Thy hand ; 
I lived, ere into being brought, 
Through thine eternity of thought. 

How precious are thy thoughts of peace, 

O God, to me ! how great the sum ! 
New every morn, they never cease ; 
10 



118 

They were, they are, and yet shall come. 
In number and in compass, more 
Than ocean''s sand, or ocean's shore. 

Search me, O God, and know my heart. 
Try me, my secret soul survey, 

And warn thy servant to depart 
From every false and evil way ; 

So shall thy truth my guidance be 

To life and immortality. 



PSALM CXLI. 

Lord let my prayer like incense rise, 
And when I lift my hands to Thee, 

As on the evening-sacrifice, [me . 

Look down from heaven, well-pleased, on 

Set Thou a watch to keep my tongue. 
Let not my heart to sm incline j 



119 

Save me from men who practise wrong, 
Let me not share their mirth and wine. 

But let the righteous, when I stray, 

Smite me in love ; — his strokes are kind ; 

His mild reproofs, like oil allay 

The wounds they make, and heal the mind. 

Mine eyes are unto Thee, my God ; 

Behold me humbled in the dust ; 
I kiss the hand that wields the rod, 

I own thy ch& t sements are just. 

But O redeem me from the snares, 

With which the world surrounds my feet, 

— Its riches, vanities, and cares. 
Its love, its hatred, its deceit. 



120 

PSALM CXLII. 

I CRIED unto the Lord most just, 

Most merciful, in prayer ; 
I cried unto Him from the dust, 

I told Him my despair. 

When sunk my soul within me, — then 
Thou knew'st the path I chose ; 

Unharm'd I pass'd the spoiler"'s den, 
I walk'd through ambush'd foes. 

I look'd for friends, — there was not one 

In sorrow to condole ; 
I look'd for refuge, — there was none ; 

None cared for my soul. 

I cried unto the Lord ; — I said, — 
Thou art m}^ refuge ; Thou, 

My portion ; — hasten to mine aid ; 
Hear and deliver now. 



121 

Now, from the dungeon, from the grave,* 

Exalt thy suppliants head ; 
Thy voice is freedom to the slave, 

Revival to the dead. 



PSALM CXLIII. 

Hear me, O Lord, in my distress. 
Hear me in truth and righteousness ; 
For at thy bar of judgment tried, 
None livmg can be justified. 

Lord, I have foes without, within, 
The world, the flesh, indwelling sin, 
Life''s daily ills, temptation's power, 
And Satan roaring to devour. 

These, these my fainting soul surround, 
My strength is smitten to the ground ; 
Like those long dead, beneath their weight 
Crush'd is my heart and desolate. 



122 

Yet, in the gloom of silent thought, 
I call to mind what God hath wrought. 
Thy wonders in the days of old, 
Thy mercies great and manifold. 

Ah ! then to Thee I stretch my hands, 
Like failing streams through desert-sands ; 
I thirst for Thee, as harvest-plains 
Parch'd by the summer thirst for rains. 

O let me not thus hopeless lie, 
Like one condemned at morn to die, 
But with the morning may I see 
Thy loving-kindness visit me. 

Teach me thy will, subdue my own j 
Thou art my God, and Thou alone ; 
By thy good Spirit, guide me still. 
Safe from all foes, to Zion's hill. 

Release my soul from trouble, Lord j 
Quicken and keep me by thy word ; 



12S 

May all its promises be mine ; 

Be Thou my portion — I am thine. 



PSALM CXLIV. 

The Lord is gracious to forgive, 
And slow to let his anger move ; 
The Lord is good to all that live, 
And all his tender mercy prove. 

Thy works, O God, thy praise proclaim ; 
The saints thy wondrous deeds shall sing, 
Extol thy power, and to thy name 
Homage from every nation bring. 

Glorious in majesty art Thou ; 
Thy throne for ever shall endure ; 
Angels before Thy footstool bow, 
Yet dost Thou not despise the poor. 



124 

The Lord upholdeth them fhat fall ; 
He raiseth men of low degree ; 
O God, our health, the eyes of all, 
Of all the living, wait on Thee. 

Thou openest thine exhaustless store, 
And rainest food on every land ; 
The dumb creation Thee adore, 
And eat their portion from thy hand. 

Man, most indebted, most ingrate, 
Man only, is a rebel here ; 
Teach him to know Thee, ere too late 
Teach him to love Thee, and to fear. 



PSALM CXLVIIl. 

Heralds of creation cry, 
— Praise the Lord, the Lord most high 
Heaven and earth, obey the call, 
Praise the Lord, the Lord of all. 



125 

For He spake, and forth from night 
Sprang the universe to hght ; 
He commanded, — Nature heard ^ 
And stood fast upon his word. 

Praise Him, all ye hosts abore, 
Spirits perfected in love ; 
Sun and moon, your voices raise, 
Sing, ye stars, your Maker's praise. 

Earth, from all thy depths below, 
Ocean's hallelujahs flow ; 
Lightning, vapour, wind, and storm, 
Hail and snow, his will perform. 

Vales and mountains, burst in song ; 
Rivers, roll with praise along; 
Clap your hands, ye trees, and hail 
God, who comes in every gale. 
11 



126 

Birds, on wings of rapture, soar, 
Warble at his temple-door ; 
Joyful sounds, from herds and flocks, 
Echo back, ye caves and rocks. 

Kings, your Sovereign serve with awe ; 
Judges, own his righteous law ; 
Princes, worship him with fear ; 
Bow the knee, all people here. 

Let his truth by babes be told, 
And his wonders by the old ; 
Youths and maidens, in your prime, 
Learn the lays of heaven betime. 

High above all height his throne. 
Excellent his name alone ; 
Him let all his works confess ; 
Him let every being bless. 

THE ENJ>. 



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